


Memory Bound

by orphan_account



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Sex, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Bisexual Diego Hargreeves, Complicated Relationships, Demisexual Diego Hargreeves, Eventual Smut, Good Brother Ben Hargreeves, Hand Jobs, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Klaus Hargreeves Needs Help, M/M, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pansexual Klaus Hargreeves, Protective Diego Hargreeves, Pseudo-Incest, Rating May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-08-20 06:24:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20223271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Something in his chest always felt warm when he had Klaus in his arms. From holding him after a particularly bad nightmare to falling asleep after a long day of training to clutching his unconscious body to his chest after a mission gone wrong.XXXSeason One, but Klaus and Diego had a relationship when they were teenagers.





	1. Chapter 1

Something in his chest always felt warm when he had Klaus in his arms. From holding him after a particularly bad nightmare to falling asleep after a long day of training to clutching his unconscious body to his chest after a mission gone wrong.

While he, like their brothers and sisters, got tired of him easily whenever Klaus got too loud or excited or himself, Diego was still always the first to go along with his antics. Still always wanting to see him happy. To see his eyes light up and sparkle whenever he'd laugh at himself.

Whether they'd cause mayhem or just talk for awhile, Diego was always the first to handle Klaus when no one else was willing to.

At eight years old Diego was the first person Klaus would go to for nightmares, at thirteen he was the first person Klaus would tell about his injuries, and at fifteen years old he was the only person Klaus told about his first breakup.

He'd always remember the sound of Klaus's dizzy stumbles as he crawled into Diego's bed reeking of booze and wrapped his long arms around his waist. Would always feel the moisture seeping into the back of his pajama shirt. Always remember the uncharacteristic gentleness in his voice as he coaxed the story out of his precious brother.

“Just some guy.” Klaus mumbled into his neck. “I... I let him touch... places, and then he just... I’m sorry, I thought I could handle it, but I guess I couldn’t.”

Something burned in his chest when he was rudely reminded that Klaus was interested in having sex with anyone at all, but Klaus was fragile and Diego couldn't find it in him to be anything but tender.

He held him in his arms and promised to take care of him. And when he pressed a kiss to Klaus's forehead, how could he resist pressing another? And another. And one on his eyelid. And on his cheek. A lot on his cheeks, until Klaus's face was red, and their foreheads touch, and their noses nuzzle against each other, and their eyes stare so deeply into each other and with such intensity that Diego feels the spike in his heart shift into something warm and soft. Until finally, he presses one to his lips, and tears roll down both their faces.

He cradled Klaus's head in his hands and kept their foreheads touching.

"Did you think he would fall in love you?" Diego asked, his voice quiet and the thought scaring him, but in the moment, he realized it might not matter, because Klaus was in his arms.

"No." Klaus whispered. "But he was nice at first, and he made me feel wanted. He wanted me. Just for sex but he wanted me."

"So?" Diego murmured in confusion. "You deserve to be wanted for a lot more than sex. And besides, you're always wanted. I'll always want you."

He didn't realize what that meant for years, but he thought he did when Klaus lifted his head and their lips pressed together again.

Diego was frozen until he wasn't, and he kissed him back deeply. He knew shouldn't be doing this, shouldn't encourage it, shouldn’t have started it in the first place, but he couldn't help it. And when he tried to, Klaus dragged him back, slid his tongue in his mouth and crawled into Diego's lap.

It was unlike anything he'd ever felt before, but he knew it was happiness.

He didn't stop until Klaus rocked down on his on his hard member. He almost let it happen, and Diego knew if they did anything else he would, but Klaus just had a traumatizing experience and he does not need to be having sex at the moment. He needs someone to support him and hold him for the entire night without an ounce of selfishness to it.

The ball was in Klaus's court, but if he was lucky enough for Klaus to want him in the morning, as a support system or something more, Diego would always want him back.

One could say that that was where it all began, that one serene night where Diego held Klaus until he fell asleep. Or maybe it was the next night where after a whole day of anxiety, Klaus snuck back into his room. Or the night a few weeks later when Diego laid between Klaus's perfect legs as the reached their first orgasms together. Or maybe it started when they were both just one day old and sold to a mad man by their families. But that would be depressing as fuck.

XXX

They kept it up for two years before it all came crumbling down. It was strictly kept to nights, and most of the time they didn't actually have sex. It was too risky. And while Diego was _flying_ whenever they felt they were safe enough to go all the way, they both knew the disaster that would come if they got caught.

Actually, not much changed. They just gravitated towards each other even more than they used to, kissed _a lot_ at night, and snuck around when everyone else was fast asleep.

It was almost always in Klaus's room since their father had long since installed soundproof walls to ensure the other children didn't wake up whenever Klaus woke up screaming from a scary ghost or a nightmare. Not that it did much good, Klaus always found his way to Diego's bed when push came to shove.

Living in that mansion was mostly horrible, but being with Klaus, peppering him with kisses, watching the way his face moved when they have a conversation, it kept him sane.

Diego still fought with Luther at every turn, but fucking Number One found out his weakness and always paired him up with Klaus. The sad part was that it worked. His need to make sure Klaus was safe drowned out all other senses, his love for Klaus was enough to drown out the bitterness he felt towards Number One.

It wasn’t perfect. In fact, his life still sucked, still frustrated him to no end. But when Klaus curled up to his side, it became a little more tolerable.

Then Ben died.

The grief was unbearable. Living here was unbearable. Every second Diego spent in that stupid house was a reminder of the life that Ben was robbed of.

"Are you really leaving for Police Academy?" Klaus asked one night, probably because Diego loudly bragged about it to drive Luther and their father insane.

Diego winced. He was. Everything about this house was a reminder of what he's lost. Everything about this house was a reminder of the pain he's went through.

Klaus was a reminder.

The realization brought tears to his eyes, and Klaus looked at him with fear in those beautiful eyes, and he let them fall down his cheeks. Klaus tried to wipe them away but Diego grabbed his wrist too gently brought his fingers to his lips.

"What's wrong? What?" Klaus whispered softly.

Diego grabbed Klaus on both sides of his face and pulled him into an all-consuming kiss. He flipped him until Klaus was laying under him and slipped his hands under his pajama shirt.

As he pulled away to unbutton the shirt, Klaus looked up at him concerned. "You're still crying. Are you want-"

He kissed him to shut him up.

As Diego drove away the next day, from the mansion, from the memories, from the pain, he saw Klaus in the rearview mirror, watching him leave. Diego adjusted the mirror and didn't turn around.

He wasn't there when Klaus sat down on the steps for awhile. Wouldn't see Allison sit next to him and gently coax him inside. Didn't laugh at the confused look Klaus got on his beautiful face when Luther awkwardly patted his back. Would never know about the brief hug Vanya gave him when they were alone. And definitely couldn't hear Ben murmuring reassurances to Klaus as he sobbed in his bed at night, the way brothers who weren't in love with each other did.

XXX

Police Academy was terrifying at first, but he'd never admit it. Diego had never been out in the real world before, and then he was making it all on his own.

He missed Klaus. He missed the way his eyes sparkled when he laughed. He missed how Klaus would curl into his side at night. He missed rubbing Klaus's leg as they cuddled together, and the way Klaus would nudge Diego's hand whenever he stopped. He missed Klaus so much it made him nauseous.

But slowly, as time moved on, the pain of leaving Klaus decreased. It was never fully gone, but it was far away. Like something he locked away safely in a closet. It still hurt to think about him and so Diego didn't.

Instead he focused on the new experiences his freedom bought him. He made friends at Police Academy. He snuck out to a pool after curfew, learned how to dance, teased Rodriguez for details about his girlfriend, and all the things he never knew how to do at the mansion.

As two years pass, Diego found something had shifted in him. He fell for the star student in his class at the Academy. Eudora Patch.

He only felt way with one person before, and to feel it with another was a big deal for him. Diego never really had strong desire when it came to strangers. Sure, he knew when someone was attractive, but he only ever _wanted_ Klaus. Then again, for the longest time he only ever really had an emotional connection to Klaus. From the time they were toddlers being put down for nap time, he was closer to Klaus than anyone else in their 'family' besides Mom.

But now there was Eudora, who knew his bullshit like the back of her hand, and wasn't afraid of anything. She believed in people in a way he had never seen in anyone else before, and he wanted to kiss her. He only ever wanted to do that with one person before.

It was really fun for a time. Eudora was a cool girl, but she had a big heart. She made him believe he could be better than what his father always told him. As they met for coffee and talked about what they hoped to do in the force. It was great. It was what he never had sneaking around with Klaus as a kid. He almost wondered if this was it, and Eudora was the one, but he abandoned the only other person he had those thoughts with, and he couldn’t go through that again.

She couldn’t stand how protective he got of her, but he couldn’t help it. It was a part of him he could never shake. It had always been there, and no matter how badly Dad tried to turn him against his sibling, Diego never lost it. He was always embarrassingly territorial. Sometimes Klaus got annoyed and sometimes he liked it, but Eudora _hated_ it.

Diego tried to back off. Tried really hard. Then he got kicked out of the Police Academy after making a bunch of idiots cry when he overheard them joking about Eudora’s butt, and they had a fight so intense, he was the one getting dumped.

XXX

Diego found that instead of having the one person to protect, he could channel his need to defend others into keeping helpless civilians safe and sound. He found a lot of fun when it came to vigilantism. Eudora only got even more pissed with him, but he liked getting to see her more, and paperwork sounded like a bitch anyway.

On April 18th 2016, not that he took note, Diego usurped an illegal drug ring and intended to leave every last junkie and dealer beaten and tied up for the cops. Instead he left almost every last junkie and dealer for the cops, and took one to his gym, snuck him into his boiler room, _clinically_ forced him into the shower, dressed him in his sweatpants and let him sleep in his bed. 

And if, in the morning, when said junkie was coming down, they spent the time that could have been used on breakfast gasping and groaning and reaching and moaning as Diego slammed into the man laying gorgeous underneath him, it didn't matter because almost immediately after, Diego jumped away from the man who rest his head on his shoulder to take a shower.

"Get dressed, you can keep the clothes!" He called back loudly.

When Diego returned, he was short four hundred dollars and a pair of pants.

XXX

When he first heard that his father died, all Diego thought was_ 'good-riddance.'_

He wasn't sad, if anything it felt like weight lifted off his shoulders. But then the weight came crashing back down on him when he realized he would have to see his family again.

It was more or less what he expected it to be at first. He exchanged death threats with Luther, his stomach dropped when he saw Klaus, and he let Vanya know she wasn't welcome after that book.

Hell, the only stunts his family pulled that managed to catch him off-guard was when fucking Number Five just sort of showed up out of nowhere. He wasn't even shocked when Luther accused them (him) of murdering their father.

He tried to avoid looking at Klaus. That little hookup they had three years ago was a mistake, plain and simple. It felt right, yeah, but it had been years since they last saw each other, and even just seeing Klaus made Diego ache inside in a way he'd prefer to punch away. Besides, Klaus was a junkie, Diego lived in a boiler room. They were both too fucked up beyond repair. If he tried, Klaus would just disappoint him, and getting over Klaus was hard enough the first time around.

He left without saying goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Waitress reference absolutely intentional.
> 
> And if Diego seemed a tiny bit unsympathetic, that was intentional too.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just because Ben ships it, doesn’t mean he doesn’t see how stupid they are.

Diego stayed far away from the mansion all the next day. As far as he was concerned, the family reunion bullshit was over. Of course Number One broke into apartment, but all that did was prove he didn't off their Dad because of some boxing poster he hung up on his wall.

When Luther left, he made sure his important stuff was still there. The embroidery of his childhood mask his mother knitted for him was still framed on the wall, which was good. He paused when he saw Klaus's notebook of drawings laying open on his bed. Nobody knew he took it with him when he left. Klaus had stopped drawing in it six months before he left, which was a damn shame cause he was actually pretty talented.

The book was open on two drawings. On the left page, there was a mocking picture of Luther as a caveman to reflect his intelligence. On the right, a sketch of Diego saving the day. There were actually a lot sketches of Diego in a heroic position.

Maybe it was the bitterness at having to have proof that he didn't kill the old man, Diego flipped to the back of the notebook. There was another drawing of himself, shirtless because he was being drawn by Klaus, smiling up at the viewer while surrounded by tiny hearts. He remembered being sixteen and watching Klaus mindlessly sketch in his book next to him as he leaned into his shoulder.

At the time he teased him for being cheesy, and as an adult, that analysis only seemed to be more justified. Turning the page, he found a self portrait of Klaus staring up at him. And somehow he was transported to a time where Klaus would stare up at him from where his head rested on Diego's lap, and his heart would melt when Klaus would smile up at him with those dimples.

The drawing couldn't compare to the real thing though.

Snapping himself out of it, he closed the damn book and threw it under his bed where it belonged. This was why he couldn't stand being around family.

XXX

Klaus was getting pretty annoyed with staying at the mansion. For the most part, all the quality family bonding time was pretty much just being insulted for not taking all the drama seriously enough after taking time out his day to help his brothers, and being pressured into finding Dad's stupid notes after losing them by Pogo, yadda-yadda, family stuff yadda-yadda.

And then Luther announced that during a family meeting that he wanted to off their Mom cause she maybe murdered their daddy, which is ridiculous, but if it was true.... Well then that's just girl power at its finest.

He takes great pride in announcing his vote against coldly murdering the robot-woman who raised them from toddlerhood just to rub it in Luther's face. And because he likes their attention.

"Wha-What bus?" Allison asked in extreme confusion, to his delight.

"Don't worry about it." Luther said to Allison before turning to him and just rolled his eyes. "Yeah, no one needed to ask whose side you were on."

Klaus gasped in mock-offense, but he _supposed_ that was fair. When Luther and Diego started bitch fighting when they were teens, he never really cared, he just automatically went Team Diego. And that was even before things got half-spicy, half-floofy. Being fair, even Allison had a tendency to actually hear out both sides before deciding Luther was correct.

There didn't need to be a rocket scientist in the house to guess why Luther didn't ask him, as for Diego-

It wasn't hard to get that Diego would rather not acknowledge his existence, even to get his vote for their mother's sake. Though maybe it was like Luther said, and his vote was just that obvious. Diego didn't even spare him a semi-grateful glance.

The family meeting ends with no real resolution. They just decided to wait on Five, like they were kids again.

Or maybe there was a resolution and Klaus spaced out trying not to stare at Diego. Well, he voted for Ben, and he was pretty sure Vanya was Team Mommy Doesn't Die, so if she got a vote it would be 4-2, so they win! When did their family become a democracy? Not that he's complaining, he loves his Mama. Not as much as Diego, but he does.

That was why he wanted to know if Diego was okay. He had always been closest to Mom, Luther's talk about shutting down Mom wouldn't exactly leave him in a good place. But Klaus hadn't seen this man in twelve years, discounting that one time they hooked up in a boiler room. That was fun. Besides, if Diego didn't want to talk to him, he didn't want to talk to him.

"Since when have you been one to play things safe?" Ben said when he voiced his concerns to him. "Talk to Diego."

"You're so bossy!" Klaus whined. "What would I even say, 'Hey you, let's chat. So you feeling about Luther setting up our mother on a witch trial?' That'll go over so well!"

"Just say whatever you said to get him bed the first time 'round." Ben rolled his eyes.

"He kissed me!" Klaus snapped. "..... After I crawled into his bed and cried on shoulder." He added semi-thoughtfully after a moment.

"What did we say about details?" Ben said scoldingly, as though he was lecturing a child.

"Don't give them." Klaus bowed his head and pouted.

"Good. Now go."

Maybe Diego would yell, but Klaus couldn't care less. Diego and noise were always the two things that were most effective in quieting the voices of dead people.

The sun was setting when Klaus struck up the courage to walk up to Diego, who was just leaving Mom's 'room'.

"Diego?" He said softly, and didn't even flinch when Diego sends a couple knives slicing past him without turning or stopping. "Are you okay?"

"Peachy!" Diego growled and Klaus almost stopped at that and let him brood by himself. It would be easy, but when he turned around, Ben's entitled face stopped him in his tracks and made him sigh and go after him again.

He found Diego brooding in his childhood room. He just stood in the door for a minute, not really sure what Ben wanted him to do.

"Do you want something or....?" Diego sounded annoyed.

"Say he seemed upset." Ben advised. "Ask him if he's- He won't want to talk, so just demand that he talks to you."

"Well, ya seemed upset." Klaus said casually. "Talk to me."

"I'm good." Diego snapped.

"No you're not." Klaus replied instantly, without needing to be told. From the corner of his eye, he saw Ben start to open up one his books.

"What's it to you?" He growled. Klaus leveled his steely eyes with a stare. Maybe it was his imagination, but he could see Diego's anger soften just a tiny bit.

But maybe Ben saw it too because he was looking up and then he rolled his eyes and said, "Remind him that you were always his safe place."

"If you want, you can talk to me." Klaus said softly. "You always did when we were kids."

"Well a lot's changed since we were kids!" He snapped.

Ben rolled his eyes even as he read from his book. "You people frustrate me!"

How did Ben know so much about talking? He's dead. The only person in the world he has to hang with is Klaus, and he liked to think he was a very approachable person. Unless that was what the books were for. Klaus doesn't question, he just burns.

Ben looked up from his book and sighed noncommittally. "Your life is my cable TV, okay? And all I've had to watch for the past twelve years is MTV. I'm dead, I get a pass. You just need to some things for me sometimes, okay? Give me a warning if this turns into soft porn. Just stare at him some more, it works."

Why Ben reads while he watches television, Klaus didn't know nor care. He shot a knowing look deeply into Diego's eyes and he could see the defensiveness slowly melt like chocolate.

"What if it's not real?" Diego whispered softly. "What if she's not real? What if all our lives, everything she did or said was just fucking Dad's programming?"

"What are you talking about?" Klaus asked.

"Mom- She asked me if I thought some lady in a painting was lonely, and I thought.... I thought to myself, 'That lady is just paint some old guy organized into something pretty for the benefit of anyone that anyone looks at it.' What if that's what Mom is?"

Klaus wasn't sure what to say so he glanced at Ben. He just shrugged and said, "You got this!" And went back to his book.

Klaus bit his lip worriedly, though he did notice how Diego's eyes lingered on his mouth when he did that. "You know this is Mom right? She did everything for us. When I look at her, I see someone who loves us.”

“Klaus-“

“You realize Mom knew about..... _us_ right?" Diego flinched. Really, Klaus suspected that they all knew. It was pretty damn obvious to Ben at least. There were too many moments, too many signs. But Diego didn’t need to know that. He was always so concerned with keeping their affair a secret. In hindsight that probably should have been a red flag, but he just _didn’t think_. “An-and that means she never told Dad.”

"I guess so.” Diego admitted begrudgingly.

"And if makes you feel better, young hot people can paint symbolic ladies too."

Diego actually laughed at that. "Hey, listen-"

Whatever Diego would've said, it probably would've been touching or whatever had gunfire not echoed throughout the house.

XXX

They ran out to the hallway, where two people in masks were arguing with each other. They were right next to Vanya’s door, and the smaller one seemed to be about to open it. Her room was so tiny. Diego immediately threw two knives at them, slicing through their sides, but they didn’t seem to be too hurt somehow.

They started shooting at him, and he quickly pushed Klaus back inside his old room. A second passed before one of the freaks kicked his door down. Diego immediately sliced his hand and punched his face. He got the assailant to drop the gun.

They fight in hand-to-hand combat for a second before a gunshot rang out and the freak fell on his knees. Not sure what was happening, Diego bashed his head onto the door and left him slumped on the floor. He turned and saw Klaus holding the bozo’s gun in his shaky grip, aiming at the assailant. He even seemed surprised by himself. Klaus lowered the gun and Diego held his hands to both sides of Klaus head before his mind could intervene.

“Take Vanya and run!” Diego ordered him, starting to take the gun away from him, but thought better of it. He needed Klaus out of the way, and Klaus needed to protect himself. He was never the best fighter to begin with, and his powers didn’t exactly help, but that mixed with the fact that he was probably high right now didn’t leave him feeling very well. A part him wanted to go and make sure Klaus wasn’t in anymore danger.

But Diego needed to find the other shooter and Klaus and Vanya were better off out of the way. Klaus just nodded and ran to Vanya’s door.

He watched as Klaus dragged Vanya downstairs. He breathed out a sigh, hoping they made it out okay. But then he felt a heavy fist smash into his head and he whipped around, kneecapping the freak’s stomach and punching him back. Diego had other things to worry about.

XXX

When the sounds of gunfire finally died and a van raced away from the house like it was about to get into a high speed car chase, Klaus waited five minutes, and took the risk and peaked his head through the front door. When he just saw Allison standing around looking shocked, he gestured for Vanya to follow him.

When Allison turned to see them, she immediately started questioning if they were alright.

”Fine, Diego told us to leave.” Klaus waved her off, setting the gun down on the floor because he was probably more of danger to himself with a rifle now that those kooks left. Even when they were there, he was terrified that he would aim the wrong way and accidentally shoot Diego.

He left Vanya and Allison to each other’s care and drew himself a bath. He took another pill when the ghosts got to bad, and when he finally got up, he was to tired from that horrible night to do anything but pull colorful sweatpants and collapse into his bed.

Klaus was about to slip into sleep when he heard his door creep open and footsteps approached his bed. His mattress dipped and he felt arms wrap around him and pull him closer into a warm body.

The body shuddered around him as a nose nuzzled into his shoulder. He felt a warm, salty tear fall onto his already wet body.

”Diego?” Klaus whispered. Was this just a dream? It had been so long, what could possibly bring this on?

Diego kissed the back of his neck and didn’t say anything.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case it wasn’t clear last chapter, for now it’s just skimming over the moments not directly changed by their relationship, it will get a lot more nuanced as it goes forward.

He knew even as he stumbled into Klaus's room and pulled his brother close to his chest that it was a mistake. But his mother was dead so fuck logic.

When Diego woke up, his first thoughts were with the woman who cared for him his entire life when he was just a little boy in a monster's prison. The woman he had no choice but to let go of.

With that thought, he unconsciously leaned into the touch all around him. A pair of arms were wrapped around his waist and a nose was nuzzled into the crook of his neck. At some point during the night Klaus must have turned around and they just gravitated to each other.

It was an image he used to adore when he was a child. Klaus sleeping soundly in his arms, safe and sound, without a nightmare or a father to ruin things. His head rested on his shoulder, and Diego shamelessly reveled in the feeling of Klaus breathing steadily on his chest.

Before he could tell himself no, he pressed his lips to Klaus's forehead. Shit. They were adults, Diego should have control over himself. When they were kids, Diego found it near impossible to resist him, but they have gone so many years away from each other. Klaus should not have this affect on him anymore.

It was Mom. He was sad and alone and nostalgic, and at the moment Klaus was the only thing he still had that was even worth being nostalgic over.

He always felt so.... _peaceful_ when he woke up with Klaus in his arms. Though as a kid he was always happiest when there were a lot less clothes than now involved, because he was a horny little shit back then.

But now though, Diego knew that would be a mistake. Hell, it was a mistake to even go to his bed. He just... He lost his mom. He needed to make sure the only other friend he ever had in this fucking house was still safe and alive and with him. There was so much fucked up, he just needed to hold the only other happy part of his shitty childhood he still had.

Diego had to leave before Klaus woke up though. He didn't even want to think about what would be said if he didn't.

Slowly unwrapping himself from Klaus's body, he felt a slight pang in his stomach. And Klaus probably felt it too because he started to whine, and unconsciously pulled the blanket closer to him and holding it close to him, just like when they were kids and knew they couldn’t get away with sleeping in each other’s beds every single night. It was as adorable now as it was then, but then again so was most of what Klaus does. Diego diverted his eyes.

His mom was gone... he set off for Eudora’s house. She would.... she was Eudora.

Klaus wasn't even a little surprised when Diego wasn't there when he woke up. Well, he’s still had his whole day ahead of him. Maybe he’d get high, or maybe find that stupid box Pogo got all up on his sexy ass about. He popped a pill he hid in an old stuffed animal over a decade ago to start his day, ignoring Ben’s trademark disappointed scowl.

XXX

How the hell Luther talked him into looking for Five, Diego was not sure. It was fucking Pogo. All he knew at the moment though was that Luther was asking to get knifed.

Number One seemed pissed off with off with him the entire day- more than usual. As always though, Luther was completely insistent on their asshole father’s glory. He seemed proud of himself for being the only one to never leave the mansion. Diego sighed. "You wanna know why I left?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Why I left the Academy." He wondered if he could ever actually get through to the few parts of Luther left that weren't still lodged up Dad's ass. Probably not, but the few less than shitty memories he had of Luther before they started going on missions and became an over-obsessive, glorified Boy Scout were enough to give it another shot.

They were probably gonna start throwing punches in a library, weren’t they?

"Yeah, 'cause you couldn't handle me being Number One." Luther said as if was a fact, making Diego's blood boil. They both know they were numbered in the order of their birth, and besides, being Number One obviously made Luther a mindless prick, so he dodged a god damn bullet and he didn’t even realize.

"No. Because that's what you do when you're seventeen. You move out, become your own person, grow up."

"Oh, yeah. You're a real grown-up." Luther scoffed.

"At least I make my own decisions. You've never had to hold down a job. Pay bills. You ever even been with a girl?" Something in Luther's eyes flashed as he laughed humorlessly. Diego cautiously wondered if he poked too far again.

"Right because that's just your philosophy, isn't it?" Luther snapped angrily. "Our home gets shot up, and immediately after, you're running back to Klaus’s room, over a decade after you abandoned him the same month our brother died,” He sounded almost protective at that part, “you know, because adults always get off after fighting off a bunch of psychopaths!”

"We did not-!" Diego shouted. Holy shit, Luther thought he slept with Klaus after what happened with Mom. If he wasn’t so pissed off, he’d find that so funny. Instead he just steamed.

Okay, maybe he overreacted, but Luther had no right to go to that place. Though Diego liked to think he was discrete about the whole Klaus thing, a more nervous part of him that he liked to bury deep in his gut always told him everyone knew before he even made a move in the first place.

How could Luther think he had a right to an opinion when it came to him breaking things off with Klaus? God, was that what his siblings remembered him as? Some little asshole who fought with Number One all the time and left their junkie brother? But that wasn’t fair. Was it? Yes, Klaus obviously only got worse after Diego left. He was already on a downward spiral after Ben’s death, but Diego knew he couldn’t be the one to save him. No one could save Klaus but Klaus, and that was where the problems started.

What they had was never enough to get Klaus off drugs, no matter how hard Diego begged him, it was all just false promises to get Diego to focus on something else, and Diego fell for it. Every. Single. Time. Because he was an idiot teenaged boy who was in love for the first time in his life and didn’t know what else to do, and just wanted to believe in his boyfriend.

There was no pretending after Ben died, though, and no matter how god damn stupid Diego could get as a teenager, he couldn’t watch Klaus drown himself in drugs, and Diego wasn’t about to let himself sink with him. Grief just brought everything awful and bad and intolerable about his life at the Academy to the forefront and Diego couldn’t take it,

With that thought, Diego probably said something a lot more vicious and also a lot stupider than he normally would, because he was just that pissed off with fucking Luther for bring all that shit up to his brain yet again. Fuck Luther.

“Wow. Okay, you spent our entire childhoods being Dad's loyal son and you never learned how to grow up and be your own man! Deep down you're _still_ a little boy who never got anywhere or did anything past making goo-goo eyes at Allison, and when she hit puberty and decided she didn’t wanna die a virgin, you became a heartbroken little shit because-“

“Shut up!” Luther yelled, and Diego was planning on ignoring that order, because he was not a mindless soldier unlike Luther, and was just about to poke the bear some more when he caught sight of Little Number Five black out drunk against some railing and finally remembered why he was in a library with _Luther_ in the first place.

“Well, that was easy.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Hand jobs and sexy stuff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I kind of hate it when a Kliego fic has Klaus just come back from losing Dave, but is already ready to get with Diego, like no, people that they both loved died that week, that’s messed up. So Eudora lives, and Klaus never meets Dave. (I have nothing against Klave)

Klaus didn't know when he first started loving his brother as definitely not a brother. And he definitely didn't ask for it either.

Diego was always so strong and safe and beautiful. The most beautiful thing that existed in that little boy's small, dark world. He remembered that even as a toddler he would follow Two around like a little duckling. Remembered countless nights were he'd crawl into Diego's bed and just feel so loved and so safe and warm next to his brother. Remembered exchanging glances at those chocolate chip eyes across the dining room table whenever Five started yet another argument with their father. Remembered how his heart skipped a beat when he managed to make Diego laugh.

For awhile he tried to brush it off. They were going through puberty, and it was just the seven of them, Klaus was so sure that if they went to some school or whatever that it would be nothing. Klaus was just short on options!

It wasn't like Klaus was the only one. Allison and Luther were unsubtle, and he always felt an odd reassurance that it wasn't just him going insane whenever he caught Vanya blushing after Five acknowledged her existence. They were all freaks. Hell, how many times did he and Allison do each other's nails and talk about their forbidden crushes? In code, of course, but Allison wasn't stupid and no matter what his siblings thought, neither was Klaus.

At the time his siblings' puppy love for each other made him feel better, but now he realized that it was just another clue that they weren't really a family. Or maybe they were. They were kids, they needed a family whether Dad liked it or not, but without anyone to encourage them to be anything more than brothers-in-arms, what they became to each other beyond that was up to them.

His crush on Diego seemed almost natural. After all, at that point everyone was in love with someone, and everyone else was off limits to Klaus. Five and Luther were mean and the thought nauseated him and it still does, Allison was his girl best friend, Vanya was.... out of mind, and Ben was Ben.

Surely, if they had a real childhood, it wouldn't be like this. Right?

But Diego.... Diego was different. Diego was his best friend. This was before Ben died and they actually started feeling like brothers, and before Diego left him to fail at being a police officer. From as early as toddlerhood, he was always by Diego's side. To have a crush on Diego, in a world where everything was inside out, and siblings felt more like classmates, wasn't a choice, it just happened.

But then they grew up, and went their separate ways to their separate grown up lives. Whatever. Pogo's stupid box paper was gone and Klaus didn't care about that anymore.

He didn’t know how long he’d be staying at El Casa Hargreeves, but he’d probably last a few more weeks before Luther told him to hit the road.

What he really wanted to know, though, was why the hell Diego was still hanging around. He had his own house. Well, boiler room, if Klaus remembered correctly. Plus, Mom was.... gone, so why was Diego still stalking around the kitchen?

So Klaus asked him.

“Those freaks are still out there.” Diego said stiffly. “It was just dumb luck I was here. Someone needs to save your dumb ass.”

He knew what Diego would have said when they were teenagers. _‘You’re still here, Klaus. They could have killed you if I didn’t protect you. I need to be here.’ _Because he knew everything about that kid. Or at least he thought he did.

But that was then and this was now. It was probably just sentimentality. Besides, Diego’s protectiveness was always so annoying. Klaus didn’t miss it. He didn’t. He _didn’t_.

Which was exactly why immediately after that statement, Klaus skipped to the front door, humming loudly. And why his heart didn’t flutter when Diego called after him. “Where the hell are you going?”

Smiling a little, Klaus answered. “Oh! It’s such a beautiful day, I just thought I’d take a walk out.

“Klaus, those guys are still out there.” Diego argued. Klaus almost thought he was concerned. “You can’t just go out on your own.”

He wasn’t pleased by this. He _wasn’t_.

“Well, then you’ll just have to drive me then.” Klaus flashed him a smile and walked out the door. He didn’t smile when Diego stalked out and tilted his head towards his car. Which, yeah, one could say that Klaus was leading him on by suggesting it in the first place, but to be fair, but he wanted to go out, and Diego couldn’t lock him up to keep him inside, so what else could Diego do? He had like two options really.

They drove. In silence.

Then Diego needed to pull over for gasoline, and they sat. And waited. In silence.

“Ugh.” Ben groaned. The awkward moment ruined, Klaus looked at him and gave him WTF face. “Well, I’m leaving. You should get couples therapy.”

And then he just left. Scoffing and turning back to Diego, he saw his brother looking at him with a concerned expression. Klaus shook his head to warn Diego not to worry about it.

“A million years ago, you would have asked about the ghost.” Klaus said wistfully. He didn’t know why.

“Yeah.” Diego breathed. Something in Klaus snapped.

“Look, I don’t what this is, or what you’re doing, and I get the mean assassins were all very scary, but you wanna care, care. Make up your mind. Okay? You can’t do that to me again.”

Diego stared at him startled and Klaus himself was shocked by his own admission.

He opened his mouth to speak, and stuttered on whatever he was trying to say. Klaus was about to apologize when Diego said something that caught completely off guard.

Maybe it was the one moment where Klaus poured his soul to him that encouraged him to tell him this but then he said. “I’m the one who shut down Mom.”

“What?” Klaus breathed.

“Th-there was something wr-wrong with her.” Diego said under his breath but Klaus heard him perfectly. “Sh-she was broken, and-and I-“ His voice cracked and goddamn it, Klaus wanted to hug him, but he was frozen. “I c-c-couldn’t. If an-any-th-thing h-happened to you o-or- She h-hurt-“

He jumped forward towards Diego and wrapped his arms around his torso. Diego shuddered. “D-don’t you hate me?”

Klaus pulled away and looked up at him. “No! No of course not.” He brought his hand up to Diego’s cheek, and without even thinking about it, kissed him.

In a second, he jumped back mumbling apologies about how he wasn’t thinking, but Diego pulled him back and kissed him back hungrily. When Klaus kissed him, it was chaste, a show of affection, a habit of his past that he fell back into because just talking to Diego and being vulnerable was a thing of the past. But now it was just hungry and passionate. As though Diego could only breathe in air that came from Klaus’s mouth.

Diego's tongue demanded entrance that Klaus happily granted. Not even thinking twice about it, Klaus slipped his hands up and around his neck. Diego trailed his rough hands under his shirt and pulled him deeper into the kiss. He shouldn't do this. Shouldn't open himself to being left again. But then one of those hands traveled down to his hips and then cupped his ass. Klaus moaned into his mouth and forgot what he was talking about.

He bit down hard on the bottom lip as Diego pushed him back and seemed to be looking for something in his drawer. He lost all sense of thought when a wet hand slipped beneath his waist belt and lingered on his thigh before it found its way into his tight panties and wrapping around his half hard junk.

Klaus jumped back and gasped as electricity shot through this body, but Diego was persistent, and brought his other hand behind his neck to pull Klaus back. Their tongues danced together as he rutted into Diego's hand. He felt the band of the panties break as he grew larger.

He missed him. Klaus couldn't deny it. Not in this position. He missed Diego. He missed him like a limb.

Diego turned him so he was sitting sideways in between his legs as he began rolling his own hard muscle into Klaus's hipbone. He began planting kisses on Klaus's neck before stopping at on spot and sucking hard on it. He felt Diego back away to admire the hickey left behind, squeezing harder on his cock to compensate. Diego leaned back in and gently bit the bruise. Klaus gasped and clenched.

He finally came in Diego's hand and collapsed back on his car seat, resting his forehead on the glass of the car window as Diego pulled his hand away. Catching his breath, Klaus noticed the bulge in his brother's pants as Diego looked down at it, seeming frustrated.

"Uh-" Klaus laughed slightly. "Do you want to.... uh, help you down there?" He nodded towards the obvious erection. Diego seemed flustered and didn't seem to know what to say, and as he looked anywhere but at Klaus, something caught his eye in the back window. Klaus followed his gaze and gasped at what he was looking at.

"Isn't that the guy who tried to kill us earlier?" Diego nodded and started the car. They discretely followed his car and parked behind some ice cream truck. He watched over his brother as Diego snuck out to the car the assassin was driving and tampered with it, probably placing what Klaus assumed was a tracker or microphone.

When Diego came back, Klaus tried to fuss over him, but Diego shook off his concerns. "Okay, we should probably go home and tell the others, these freaks put up a better fight then you'd think." Diego started his car.

"So we're really not gonna talk about it?" Klaus asked.

Diego paused. "Talk about what?" He asked in a low voice.

"Okay then." Klaus hummed. "Hey, I think the bitch saw us."

"What?" Klaus pointed up to the motel and Diego whipped around and cursed.

They watched as the oaf who tried to shoot them tried to leave his motel. "Stay in the car." Diego ordered automatically as he began to leave the car.

"What are you talking about? This guy tried to kill us." Klaus protested. This guy put up a good fight with the entire Umbrella Academy, and his partner probably wasn't too far away, he couldn't just let Diego off on him on his own. But as always Diego had a plan.

As Diego left the car and stalked up the steps, Klaus sighed and followed him. Which was really awkward because his undies snapped in his pants, but he managed. So apparently that little problem of Diego's softened. Great. Diego looked like he was about to make his move when he heard a Klaus asked. "So what exactly is the plan here, honey?"

"I told you to wait in the car." Diego said annoyed.

"Yeah well you also told me that licking a nine-volt battery would give me pubes."

"We were eight."

"You're just lucky they grew on their own." Klaus smirked and raised his eyebrows as if to say,_ 'Yeah, I remember your weird kinks.' _Diego just glared at him.

This would happen on missions all the time as teenagers. Klaus would flirt his ass off for him, and Diego would just get pissed at him for not keeping his focus on the task at hand. It was so annoying.

"For once, I need you to listen to me, okay? Now, go back to the car." Klaus opened his mouth to whine but Diego cut him off. "If I'm not out in two minutes, then-" Diego cut himself off and Klaus shot him a confused look. "then go get help." He continued a lot softer than before.oo

Klaus wanted to protest but Diego shot him his infamous, _‘Don't_ _shit with me, Klaus'_ look and Klaus conceded. He turned to leave as Diego started walking out into the opening, but then he heard gunshots. Without really thinking, Klaus quickly ran to him and pulled him behind the wall.

"Huh. I saved you for once." Klaus said in an attempt at fast humor. Honestly, as kids it felt like all he ever did on missions was pretend to be looking out for something and be saved by Diego. Which was a romantic dream half the time, and embarrassing the other.

"I wouldn't get used to it." He growled. They ran out back to behind the ice cream truck as the psychos drove away. Again, his underwear was not functioning properly, because of previous activities with Diego, so the man did not have the right to be annoyed at him for not running as quickly as he woils have.

"Get in the car." Diego ordered, but Klaus quickly noticed that the tires were slashed, and kicked them in mocking frustration. "So is this all part of your master plan?"

"Shut up."

Huffing, Klaus turned his head away. They were right next to an ice cream truck. Which Klaus obviously knew, but, it was mightily unattended ice cream truck. He turned his head back to Diego and tugged on his arm, but Diego immediately ripped his arm away from him.

Klaus tilted his head towards the ice cream truck with suggestive eyebrows. Diego looked at him in confusion.

With the tracker Diego put on the dude’s car, they found their way to a field and since Diego needed to be the weapon guy, he made the worst decision of his life.

Klaus learned how to drive!

He merrily waved at Luther and Five, who were there, he didn’t know why. Was Luther about to wave back? Aww! Big guy! Ben showed up again, and was all like, “Whhhhhheeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!” Klaus guessed he figured they might not be naked after an hour or so. Risky business but who doesn’t need more Ben in their day? Diego was shouting at him to go faster, and maybe it was the adrenaline, but he looked so fucking hot like that.

Then things just stopped. They just stopped. Five was gone and there was something wrong with the enemy’s guns? Klaus wasn’t sure and got easily confused, but the next thing he knew, Diego was rushing him to Luther’s car, where they sat together in the backseat. Ben was very excited to be riding shotgun.

In the car ride home, Diego and Luther traded stories about why they were there. Apparently they needed to have a mandatory family meeting as soon as they meet up with Allison. And when they got home, it was already night, and the three (Four if you count Ben) brothers went their separate ways to their separate bedrooms for the night.

So they really weren’t gonna talk about earlier?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was my first time publishing porn, be nice.


End file.
